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Here's how rich you would be if you invested in Amazon at its IPO

Shares of Amazon have come a long way since the company's 1997 initial public offering. Since then, Amazon shares have sky rocketed 48,197% from their May 15, 1997 debut of $18 a share.

Before Amazon was the "Everything Store" it was an online book store. Back in 1997, consumers still overwhelmingly preferred to buy books at brick-and-mortar retailers such as, Barnes & Noble and Borders. Since then, Borders has declared bankruptcy and Barnes & Noble has struggled to reinvent itself.

According to Charlie Bilello, director of research at Pension Partners, every $10,000 invested at Amazon's IPO in 1997 would today be worth $4.8 million.

Bilello points out that while an investment in Amazon in 1997 would have returned 48,197% today, the same investment in Barnes & Noble would have only returned 26%. Of course, a Borders investment is worth zero today.

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(Charlie Bilello Stockcharts.com)

Bilello also highlighted the last 10 years, during which Amazon has gained 1,404%. Here's how that compares to other related companies, according to Bilello: